Combustion apparatus



April 23, 1946. L. H. ABEL `COMBUS'TION APPARATUS Filed May 8, 1942 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 j ....s .b

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mm1 n u Patented Apr. 23, 1946 ooMUsfrIoN APBARATUS Louis H. Abel,V EastgClevelandgohio, assigner to The Locomotive Hollow Arcl'Co., Cleveland,

Ohio, .a corporation of Ohio Applicationl May 8, 1942,"SeralNo. .442,176 7 claims. (01.110-61) This invention relates to combustion apparatus and particularly to such apparatus as is used in conjunction with boilers where largequantities-vof` heat must be produced lfor the or the like.

Anobject of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus which will obtain very eiiicient combustion of fuel.

Another obioot isio provide .ao improved oombustion apparatus which will be rugged and durable in construction. f

Anotlierobject is to provide an improved.'C .Omfl bustion apparatus which will be able to resist motion, jarring and the like effectively.

Another object is to provide an improved combustion apparatus which may be easily manufactured. I

Another object is to provide an improved combustion apparatus which may be readily installed.

Another object isto provide an improved comgeneration of steam bustion apparatus which may be easily repaired 'Iv-he invention will be better understood from the dosoription o f ono nreotioal embodiment thereof, villustrated inthe accompanying drawings, showingan application oi the invention `to the iirefbox cfa locomotive boiler and in which:

Figure 1 is a central sectionalxview of a locomotive iire box having an arch embodying the invention; f

Figure 2V is Va transverse fragmentary sectional View aken on the une II-,Ii of Figurer Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional View taken l oritho lino Ill-111 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 iS o irogmorltoryrlone View taken on.

the lio@ I V- IV of Figure 1.

l'nfthe drawings is shown, fragmentarily, the portion of 'a locomotive boiler including the fire box thereof, the other portions of the boiler and locomotive being oi conventional or any desired construction.

The `ire box includes 9; grate I upon which coal crown sheet v3 afflue 4sheet 4, an inner back sheet 5. and nnersioo Shoots i ood l.

Eire tubes or iiues extend,

the ooriduotioe of the hooiodforodoois of. oom.- bustion'tothe stack-(not s hown).

The sheetsv above described constitute the inner walls of a water and steam jacketincluding the top sheet 9, outside backsheet il), and outside `side sheets I l andlg; a re door -I 3 being provided through the inneren@ ooioiolofbools Shoots is.

customarvinthis type of construction- Water tubosv I3,r I4, l5, and i6: or @hormosiphons extend dovnwardlvirom the book or vcrown shoot to the space donod bvilooindo and outside throat Sheets' (Hond Il?, roSPootVolyl and these are utilizedas a support foi-the arch' structure about torbedescribed.

The parts above mentioned arellusiroiod @sof .generally acceptedtype, .While those-to be sube substantially vertical Vwall extendingr entirely f across the space-between the inside side plates A`and composed of several courses of hollowbloclrsH I9, 20, and 2l, preferably of a refractorymaterial,

such as re brick. K f f The lowermost .course I9 rests uponametal support or sill 22 Which will be more particularly .described later. v

mosphere beneath the grategbars..

The 'admission of air to the passages 23 may be controlled by a damper 24, hinged to the bottoniy of the sill, .and having a lever 25 which may be moved from the cab byv a rod ZBandhandle -lever 21.

Formed inwardly ofthe passages. 2 3, the siuis formed with-a hollow recess 28 which terminates at a series of apertures 2S Whchopen inwardly immediately above the upper surface oi the-fuel 2 or other fuel is burned, and is enclosed by a^55 This hollow, like the passages previously described, hasitslower end orintake opening below the surface of the gratos, and thel admission of air to'it is controlled vby a damper 3Q. Alever 3l, rod 32; and handle lever 3 3 make it possible to adjust vthis damper from the cab.

*7..o1'wardly frOmflhe y iiueslieet tothe forward end -of the boiler for` While both dempers are shown as manually controlled by levers in the cab` of the locomotive, it will be understood that any desired automatic or mechanical control may be provided.

The blocks I9, 2i), and 2l constituting the vertical part of the wall are preferably arranged in vertical rows corresponding to the number of spaces between the various water-tubes and between these tubes `and the inner sdefsheetsgso that in a construction such as illustrated, having four water tubes, there would be five spaces and ve vertical rows of blocks.

One block of each row is provided with an opening 34 through its innermost side and Yinterior of this opening is an upwardly extending plate or deector 35 which, in practice, projects about one-third of the way across the vertical passage 23 within the block and extends upwardly at least as far as the upper end of the aperture 34.

Extending from the top of the vertical wall in the general direction of, and supported by, the water tubes, are a series of inclined blocks 36 and 31, these being upwardly arched on their lowermost surfaces (at 38) and also on their upper surfaces (at 39) between which surfaces they have formed to define passages 4U constituting continuations of the vertical passa-ges in the first described series of blocks. Y Y

The inclined series of blocks terminate in spaced discharge heads 4|, each having a generally horizontal extension 42 projecting in the direction of the ue sheet and each provided with a number of fan-like outlets 43.

At the juncture'between the vertical series of blocks and the inclined series the row of blocks 2l are somewhat elbow-like.

Each block 36, of the first course of inclined blocks, is provided with an upwardly extending portion 44 having an internal passage 45 communicating with the passage within the vertical series of blocks and provided with a perforated cap 46having generally vertically directed diverging discharge openings 4T.

The interior of the blocks 36 and 3l may have formed thereon a helical rib 48, or a separate helical vane may be inserted if desired, to impart a twisting motion to the gases Vas they arise through the openingsl 40, bringing more of these gases into contact with the surface'of the walls and contributing to greater heat transfer to these gases.

The operation of the device is as follows: With the fire built upon the grate, air is admitted through the recess 28 and apertures 29 immediately above the end of the fire bed at a point where combustion isparticularly incomplete in present' types of locomotives.

This air creates turbulence as indicated by the arrows at A and so expedites combustion of the gaseous products above the fuel bed, as well as'of the solid fuel upon its inner end, not only to generate more heat, but also to prevent coking and clinkering of the fuel at this point, and thus facilitating the firing of the boiler.

B) and mixing the highly preheated air with the unburned products of combustion, insuring their rapid oxidization and rapid generation of heat before these products reach the end of the ues.

Closely adjacent the wall, and in the space between this wall and the lower part of the iiue plate, the burning products are agitated into a considerable state-of turbulence (at C) by preheated air` emanating from the jet 4l' of the caps 46.

, The eddys formed at B and C react upon each other to extend the effect of the turbulence up and down as indicated, throughout the height of the flue plate.

The air passing up through the passages 23 within the blocks 20 draws with it a small amount of products of combustion through the apertures 34, these products completing their combustion within the hollow of the arch and serving more highly to preheat the air which is traveling through these passages.

Thus it will be seen that additional turbulence and additional mixture of highly preheated air occurs at three additional places along the path of the products of combustion: one, at A, above the innermostend of the fuel bed; two, at B, adjacent the top of the arch; and three, at C, adjacent the lowermost part of the flue sheet.

This eliminates any substantial space in which partially burned products may collect, but insures initiation of combustion all along their path as well as an adequate supply of air of carrying on complete oxidation.

More complete combustion, of course, increases the efficiency by rendering all possible heat available for useful work, and reduces the quantity of smoke. rlhe additional supply of air adjacent the solid fuel bed reduces the formation of clinkers, and thus contributes to ease of ring.

While I have described the illustrated embodiment of my invention in some particularity, 'obviously many others will readily occur to those skilled in this art, and I do not therefore limit myself to the precise details shown and described herein, but claim as my invention all embodiments, variations and modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims. 1

Iclaim: Y Y Y l. Combustion apparatus comprising a combustion. chamber dened by side and end walls, a top and a grate, outlet conduit means extending from one of said end walls, a baiiie wall in the combustion chamber extending upwardly adjacent the vlast mentioned end wall and then inclined upwardly and inwardly to overlie part of the grate, the baiie wall having internal passages extending upwardlyand terminating in discharge openings at Vthe top of the wall, there being ports through the lower part of the baiile wall from said passages to the side of the wall adjacent and above the normal level of the bed of fuel upon the grate and substantially below the inclined portion of the wall, and an upwardly directed deflector within the passages extending across the inner ends of said ports.

2. Combustion apparatus comprising a combustion chamber defined by side Vand end walls, a top and a grate, outlet conduit means extending from one of said end walls, a baflie wall in the combustion chamber Vextending upwardly adjacent the last mentioned end wall and then inclined upwardly and inwardly to overlie part of the grate,

the bafiie wall having internal passages extending upwardly and terminating in discharge openings Vat the top of the wall, there being ports through the lower part of the baffle `wall from said passages to the side of the wall adjacent and above the normal level of the bed of fuel upon the grate and substantially below the inclined portion of the wall, and helically disposed projections within the passages, whereby gases traveling within the passages are caused to follow helical paths.

3. The co-mbination with a locomotive boiler comprising a combustion chamber defined by a grate, 'a rear sheet, a crown sheet, a flue sheet, a throat sheet, and two side sheets, there being lues from the iiue sheet communicating with an outlet for the gaseous products of combustion, and including inclined water tubes, of an arch comprising a series of blocks extending upwardly from between the grate and the throat sheet, a second series of blocks supported by said water tubes and extending from the top of said rst series of blocks upwardly and toward the rear sheet, both series of blocks having internal passages therethrough intercommunicating to form continuous passages from beneath the grate to adjacent the top of the arch, the uppermost blocks of the second series having diverging generally horizontally disposed discharge passages directed in general toward the flue sheet and the blocks at the juncture of the two series having upwardly disposed diverging openings positioned below said first mentioned openings and between them and the flue sheet.

4. The combination with a locomotive boiler comprising a combustion chamber denned by a grate, a rear sheet, a crown sheet, a ue sheet, a throat sheet, and two side sheets, there being nues from the iiue sheet communicating with an outlet for the gaseous products of combustion, and including inclined water tubes, of an arch comprising a series of blocks extending upwardly.

from between the grate and the throat sheet, a second series of blocks supported by said water tubes and extending from the top of said first series of blocks upwardly and toward the rear sheet, both series of blocks having internal passages therethrough intercommunicating to form continuous passages from .beneath the grate to adjacent the top of the arch, the uppermost blocks of the second series having diverging generally horizontally disposed discharge passages directed in general toward the ilue sheet and the blocks at the juncture of the two series having upwardly disposed diverging openings positioned below said rst mentioned openings and between them and the flue sheet, there being apertures between the passages in the rst mentioned series of blocks on the side toward the rear sheet.

5. The combination with a locomotive boiler comprising a combustion'chamber dei-ined by a grate, a rear sheet, a crown sheet, a flue sheet, a throat sheet, and two side sheets, there being nues from the flue sheet communicating with an outlet for the gaseous products of combustion, and including inclined water tubes, of an arch comprising a series of blocks extending upwardly from between the grate and the throat sheet, a second series of blocks supported by said water tubes and extending from the top of said first series of blocks upwardly and toward the rear sheet, both series of blocks having internal passages therethrough intercommunicating to form continuous passages from beneath the grate to adjacent the top of the arch, the uppermost blocks of the second series having diverging generally horizontally disposed discharge passages directed in general toward the flue sheet and the blocks at the juncture of the two series having generally vertically disposed diverging openings positioned below said iirst mentioned openings and between them and the flue sheet, there being apertures between the passages in the first mentioned series of blocks on the side toward the rear sheet, and deilectors within the passages overlying the ends of said apertures.

6. The combination with a locomotive boiler comprising a combustion chamber defined by a grate, a rear sheet, a crown'sheet, a flue sheet, a throat sheet, and two side sheetathere being ues from the ilue sheet communicating with an outlet for the gaseous products of combustion, and including inclined water tubes, of an arch comprising a series of blocks extending upwardly from between the grate and the throat sheet, a second series of blocks supported by said water tubes and extending from the top of said first series of blocks upwardly and toward the rear sheet, both series of blocks having internal passages therethrough intercommunicating to form continuous passages from beneath the grate tor adjacent the top of the arch, the uppermost blocks of the Vsecond series having diverging generally horizontally disposed discharge passages directed in general toward the flue sheet and the blocks at 'the juncture of the two series having generally vertically disposed diverging openings positioned below said rst mentioned openings and betweenA them and the ue sheet, there being apertures between the passages in the rst mentionedseries of blocks on the side toward the rear sheet, deilectors within the passages overlying the ends of said apertures, and passages from the space below the grate having discharge openings closely above the top of the grate directed toward the rear sheet.

'7. The combination withI a locomotive boiler comprising a combustion chamber dened by a grate, a rear sheet, a crown sheet, a flue sheet, a throat sheet, and two side sheets, there being lues from the ilue sheet communicating with an outlet for the gaseous products of combustion, and including inclined water tubes, of an arch comprising a series of blocks extending upwardly from between the grate and the throat sheet, a second series of blocks supported by said water tubes and extending from the to-p of said lirst# series of blocks upwardly and toward the rear sheet, both series of blocks having internal passages therethrough intercommunicating to form continuous passages from beneath the grate to adjacent the top of the arch, the uppermost blocks of the second series having diverging generally horizontally disposed discharge passages directed in general toward the flue sheet and the blocks at the juncture of the two series having generally vertically disposed diverging openings positioned below said iirst mentioned openings and between them and the flue sheet, there being apertures between the passages in the rst mentioned series of blocks on the side toward the rear sheet, delectors within the passages overlying the ends of said apertures, passages from the space below the grate having discharge openings closely above the top of the grate directed toward the rear sheet, and control means at the inlets to both series of passages.

LOUIS H. ABEL. 

